Visions
by llivesinger
Summary: When Briar is sent to negotiate peace with Sotat, he doesn't expect to find Kodi, a girl whose powers are unlike anything he's ever seen before. Soon, though, he and Kodi are going to need all their powers to combat a new threat to Emelan.
1. Chase

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize from the books. **

**Chapter 1**

"Catch her!"

"C'mon, she's this way!"

The voices seemed to come at Kodi from all directions. She spun wildly, calculating what to do. The kids chasing her were big and lumbering, more suited to pounding her to a pulp than chasing her. Kodi could outrun them if she pushed herself. 

Clutching her bundle to her chest, she sped down an alley and out onto a main road. Travelers arriving for the midsummer festivities clogged the streets with their horses and wagons. She had to swerve to avoid them, losing valuable speed. 

Kodi cursed herself silently. What had possessed her to nick gold from the Thief Lord? She'd nearly been nabbed at his hideout. She _would_ be nabbed here if she didn't figure something out quick. The Thief Lord had killed kids for less than she'd done. Sure she'd been hungry, but who wasn't? None of the other street kids had gone completely crazy. Kodi ignored the small part of her mind that told her she wasn't _like_ other street kids. She couldn't think about that now.

Resigned to the inevitable, Kodi wasn't expecting to find a way out when she hit a dead end on Cart Street. Then her shirt caught on something- something that might save her. An ivy trellis stretched from the ground up on the house in front of her. She could climb the trellis and be safe on the roof. There was no way the delicate ivy and the slim beams that supported it would take her pursuers weight. The problem was that Kodi wasn't sure if it would take hers. Tentatively, she tied her bundle in place with her frayed sash and took a step toward the ivy. 

Heavy footsteps thudded against the cobblestones. There was no time to think. With a muttered prayer to Lakik, god of luck and thieves, Kodi climbed up on the trellis and scurried out of reach, leaving her followers standing below. 

For one agonizing moment, the plants tiny tendrils stretched and then firmed, holding her firmly in place. Kodi sighed with relief, and then stiffened. There was nothing left to stop her chasers from pulling down the trellis. The kids walked forward menacingly, as if they planned to do just that, but suddenly stopped. It was as if they could go no further. Finally they just walked away. 

Kodi frowned. That was strange. Those kids weren't stupid. Fools didn't rise in the ranks of thieves to become the Thief Lord's personal guards. Kodi didn't store much faith in the gods, but it seemed like Lakik had answered her prayer after all. 

Kodi continued to climb the trellis. It was hard going. The sharp ivy leaves tore holes in her already patched clothes and jabbed her mercilessly, leaving bloody tracks on her light brown skin. Her curly black hair swung in front of her face and blocked her view. 

She was almost halfway to the roof when trouble hit. Her temples started pounding. "No!" she whispered miserably. She couldn't think of a worse time for this to happen. Soon she would hear a roaring in her ears, and bright light would eat at the corners of her vision. The plague of Kodi's existence was back, the reason she never joined a gang, the reason she had to scrape by on what she could steal for herself- it was coming back to haunt her again. 

Kodi barely managed to tumble onto a rooftop before she lost consciousness completely.        


	2. Visions

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

**Chapter 2**

When Kodi regained consciousness, all was as she expected. Her body was asleep on the rooftop, but her spirit was outside it. Kodi would remain that way until she had seen a vision from the past or present. It was Kodi's secret power, and one she'd had as long as she could remember. Even now she could feel a familiar tug, pulling her to wherever she was supposed to see. Kodi relaxed with a sigh and let herself be carried away. 

The breeze bore Kodi up into the sky until she was floating above the streets of Hajra. Without a solid body, she was pulled by every gust of wind. Twice she had birds fly through her. It didn't hurt, but it was very disconcerting. 

Soon Kodi had passed Hajra's main square and was traveling above the wealthy part of town. Kodi felt an ever increasing sense of foreboding the farther she got from the familiar slums of the city. Rarely had her visions taken her out of Deadman's District; she'd never had to go past the city square.

Kodi realized her misgivings were founded when she landed at her destination- the King's castle. The building was a huge fortress. Every stone on it was placed to scare and intimidate. It did its job well. Staring up at the castle, Kodi felt as small and insignificant as an ant. The vision's pull grew more insistent. Kodi knew from experience that fighting it would do no good. She gritted her teeth and walked through the thick stone wall. 

Kodi's eyes widened as she was pulled through a seemingly endless maze of rooms. Everything from the rich imported carpets on the gold-gilded ceilings screamed wealth and power. Just one of the pictures on the wall would feed a family from Deadman's District for a year!

Finally Kodi entered the room she was meant to see. On a raised dais sat King Rididar, draped in a cloth-of-gold robe. Kodi recognized his sharp nose and beady eyes from Beltane, when the King would descend from his fortress to greet the common folk. Around Rididar were a dizzying array of dignitaries and viziers that Kodi half-remembered from various holidays. They were all dressed almost as richly as the king. 

On the other side of the room were a group of people Kodi couldn't place. The stranger's clothes were well-made, but plain. The men favored baggy breeches and shirts covered with colorful overrobes over the velvet robes and colorful jewels of the Sotatens.  They made a sharp contrast to the gaudy dress of the King's advisors.

Also, as Kodi was shocked to see, they had women in their company. Women at an important meeting? It was unheard of on this part of the Pebbled Sea. She was surprised they hadn't been laughed out of the audience chamber. Kodi had always felt that women were just as good as men, but very few people shared her view. 

The King opened his mouth to speak and Kodi pricked her ears to listen. These mysterious strangers had sparked her curiosity. 

"Welcome! Welcome, friends from the west~" His voice was dripping with joy and greeting, but this didn't spread to his face, which remained cold. 

A man walked forward from the westerners' party. He gave a bow as shallow as etiquette allowed. 

"Your Majesty, we come as representatives of Her Grace Duchess Sandrilene, ruler of Emelan and all that is within her borders." His voice thundered with respect for Her Grace as he spoke. It seemed like the westerners actually _liked _Duchess Sandrilene. 

The man continued his speech. "I am Baron Erdogun fer Baigh, Her Grace's chief advisor, and this," -he pointed to a lady, who stepped forward- "is Lady Ailsa fa Rotneg, ambassador to Sotat."

"Enough with the formalities," Lady Ailsa commanded crisply. "We are here for a _reason_."

"Obviously," King Rididar replied dryly, all trace of welcome gone from his voice. 

"As you know, Emelan's coast, and the rest of the Pebbled Sea shoreline, is being attacked by bandits of a most despicable nature. Namely, pirates."

"Yes, I do know that," the King interrupted. 

"What you don't know," Lady Ailsa continued, "is that these pirates are using advanced weaponry, and they are obviously being supported by some outside force."

"And you think _I_ am that force?"

"Someone is funding them." This voice was younger then the others. Its owner, a handsome man with gray-green eyes, stepped forward to face the King. "If it isn't you, then why hasn't Sotat been attacked, when all its neighbors have?" 

King Rididar didn't even blink. "Maybe they are Sotaten rebels," he replied smoothly. 

 "Then I suggest you get your rebels under control," Lady Ailsa told him firmly. The "or else" hung unspoken in the air. 

"Yes, yes of course!" the King replied hastily. "I wouldn't want to fight a country with such great armies- and mages." He looked nervously at the green-eyed man, who grinned wickedly. Then almost to himself, Rididar added, "I suppose I shall have to raise taxes to pay for all this."

"No!" the green-eyed man replied angrily. "The common folk're poor enough already!" Kodi noted with interest that a bit of a street accent crept into his voice when he was angry. It was gone though when- after a hasty look at a furious Lady Ailsa- he added, "Not, of course, that it's any of our business." 

He stepped back, and Kodi heard him mutter something that sounded an awful lot like "Silly bleater!" Curiously, he then looked over at her and- winked? It was as if he knew she was there. But that was impossible. Wasn't it?    


	3. Unraveling

**Disclaimer: see chapter 1**

**Chapter 3**

Kodi felt considerable relief when she felt that she was in her real body once again. After spending a while as just a wisp of spirit, it was nice to feel solid. She lay still with her eyes closed, basking in the sun's warmth. Then she felt a pressure on her arm. 

She quickly opened her eyes. The green-eyed man from the castle was standing over her, one hand placed on her arm. "Hello," he said conversationally. 

Kodi struggled furiously. Her years in Deadman's District had taught her to be wary of strangers. More than anything, she wanted to break his grip. Until she'd done that, she couldn't run back into the slums, or down through the sewers that made a web under Hajra's streets. 

"Please stop," the man told her impatiently. "I don't want to hurt you." 

Kodi stopped struggling. Something about his directness made her want to believe him. Besides, even though he was younger than she'd thought- still in his late teens- he was a good deal stronger than she was. 

He waited for a minute to see if she was done, then continued. "What are you doing on my rooftop?" 

_His _rooftop? That was ironic. Kodi scowled at him. "Some, some _odirs_ were chasing me," she spat.

"Why?" he asked. If her raw language bothered him, he didn't show it. 

"I nicked some gold from the Thief Lord," she muttered. 

He gaped at her. "You're lucky to be alive," he replied finally. 

"What would you know about it," she retorted. "You one of his?" 

To her surprise, he laughed. "No, not for a long time. How'd you get up here?" 

She shrugged. "I climbed the trellis. It's real stupid, having that trellis there. Anybody could just go through 

there-,"she nodded towards a trapdoor leading inside the house, "and rob you blind."

"I have wards," he told her. "No one can get up here til I break them. _You _shouldn't have been able to get up here. How'd you do it?" 

"Wards," she murmured. "That explains a lot." 

"Explains what?" 

"When I got up on the ivy, I thought those kids were gonna pull the trellis down. They couldn't though. I don't know how I did it." 

"Well, it's possible that your fear caused you to punch through the spells. That takes power though. Would you mind if I tested you?" 

She scowled and looked meaningfully at his hand, which still encircled her arm. "Why should I?" she asked. "I still don't know who you are, or what you want." 

"Sorry," he said ruefully. He let go of her arm. "I wanted to make sure you wouldn't run off before I could talk to you. I'm Briar Moss, a mage from Emelan." 

She rolled her eyes. Mages were tricksters who did fancy tricks for stupid tourists in the squares, and they were all at least twenty-five. This Briar was still a kid, and probably only an apprentice. "I'm Kodi," she told him. "What kind of testing do you have in mind?" It might be best to just play along until she saw her chance to run. Just in case, she maneuvered so that she could easily reach the trellis and escape.   

"I want to see if you can break my wards," he replied. 

"Might come in useful," she shrugged, "bein' able to break rich bag's spells." 

 "Alright. I'm going to cast a ward right here." He pointed to the roof's smooth floor, and pale green fire spread from his fingers to visibly mark the boundaries of his invisible spell. Kodi gulped. A kid who sprouted fire from his fingers? Maybe he was more powerful then she'd thought. 

"How do I break it?" she asked. 

"Use your mind. Imagine it in your head and use your thoughts and your will to get past." 

Kodi sighed skeptically, but she shaped her mind like a battering ram, and tried to break through the ward. She strained and pushed, but the ward was too strong. It remained solidly in place despite her best efforts. 

"I can't," she said flatly. She flinched, but the smack she was expecting never came. 

Instead, he said patiently, "Don't try to break through it. You did that when you were scared, and your fear gave you energy. Try to- _unravel_ the spell. Feel for how it fits together, and take it apart."

Unravel it? Well that was like her visions wasn't it? She unraveled the threads of time to move through it. She could unravel the wards. Kodi reached again with her mind, feeling for the threads of magic that made up the ward. Sure enough, she could feel them there. She bit her lip, and reached until she could feel the magic with her mind, and pull it apart. Bit by bit, the spell came undone, and Kodi walked through. 

"Good!" he told her. "That was really good." He handed her a water flask, which she accepted gratefully. She was exhausted. She hadn't realized how hard she had been straining. 

When she had finished gulping down the water, she turned to Briar. "What was that, that unraveling thing I just did?" 

"Magic," he replied. 

"Was never!" she exclaimed. "Magic's a wizard's trick, and I don't have it." 

"Yes you do," he said impatiently. "Powerful magic too. Not many kids could do what you just did, especially with no training. And you can do more when you do get training." 

"What training?" she asked alarm. This sounded an awful lot like work. "I don't want training." 

"You _have_ to have training," he said firmly. "Your magic is going to fight you if you don't. It's already breaking away from you, isn't it?" 

Kodi looked at the floor. "You saw me, didn't you?" 

"Not saw you, saw the power you were using. I see magic, and I followed your magical trail back to here. Took forever too." 

 "Oh."

"So how did you get to the castle?" 

"It just happened. It's been doing that since I was real little. I black out, and then its like my body is lying there, but _I'm_ not. And then I feel this- tug, taking me to where I need to go. I can't leave til it's over. I call 'em visions." 

"But they're not visions, not in the usual sense." He sounded intrigued. "It sounds like spirit traveling, only through time. That meeting with King Rididar was hours ago, but you saw it only a little while ago, right?"

 "Yeah."

"Niko's gonna want to hear about this," he murmured. 


	4. Vines

Disclaimer: see chapter one

_A/N: I just wanted to thank Tris the weatherwitch, Nie Starwhistle, Natsumi Firewind, Tomato Pirate, Psycholioness13, KJ Step, and Lionel-Skyre. Thanks for reviewing!_

**Chapter 4**

Kodi was exhausted when she finally stumbled back to her home in Deadman's District, though home wasn't the best word for where she lived. Her hideout had once been a huge tenet house, but a long ago fire had ravaged the building, leaving only the precarious wooden beams of the first two floors standing. Now the building was home to most of Hajra's street kids, and had earned a new nickname- the Rat's Nest. 

Decrepit though it was, the Rat's Nest was home, the safest home Kodi had ever known, except for when the Watch's slaving gangs made a sweep. Nobody bothered her as long as she kept her head down and stayed in her corner. It was also good protection from the Thief Lord's goons. She would be impossible to locate in the crush of people. 

Now Kodi was glad to be here, because her den-though noisy- was a good place to think. She wasn't sure how she felt about this new twist in her life. On one hand, she loved learning magic. She had been able to break four more wards of increasingly higher power. The effort had left her weaker than a baby, but the feeling of power had made it worth it. Also, after the meal she had, Kodi felt full for the first time in years. 

On the other hand, Kodi wasn't in the habit of trusting people. Briar seemed alright, but what about the Niko person he had mentioned? Shaking her head, she hid her stolen bundle under the rag she used for a pillow and lay down to catch some winks. 

Suddenly Kodi felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned quickly, but relaxed when she saw Colt's familiar freckly face. At fifteen, Colt was a year older and a foot taller than Kodi. His long, gangly limbs had earned him his title, as well as his wild bravery and fighting. Colt had been Kodi's friend since her six year old self had given him some bread when he was new to Deadman's District. Their friendship had stayed intact even after Colt had joined the Thorns, one of the Thief Lord's gangs. 

"Guess what?" he asked, blue eyes dancing wickedly as he grabbed her hand in a street rat's clasp. 

"No guessing games, Colt," she replied with a yawn. "I'm too tired." She lay her head back down on her rag pillow.   

Colt dragged her up again. "This ain't a game," he retorted. "I want to show you something important."

"Alright," Kodi sighed dramatically.

"Good." Kodi barely had time to tuck her bundle into her sash before Colt led he rout of the Rat's Nest. 

As they traveled through the winding streets that made up Deadman's District, Kodi was careful to keep to the shadows. She didn't want to run into any of the Thief Lord's kids. He probably hadn't told a lot of people- it had to be embarrassing to have a teenaged girl break in- but Kodi wanted to stay on the safe side. Colt just assumed it was Kodi's usual gang phobia and humored her. 

They were almost off tin alley when Kodi realized where they were headed. She stopped in her tracks. "No," she whispered. "No, no, _no_." 

Colt rolled his eyes. "Quit yattering."

"I'm not going to the Thorn's hideout," she replied stubbornly.

Colt sighed wearily. "No one's going to be there. They're all fighting the Flamers. I'm going to be in for it when they get back."

Feeling mollified, Kodi walked the rest of the way without protest. 

The Thorn's hideout had once been a small cottage, but that was so long ago that few people knew that. Even fewer people knew about the secret entrance leading inside. The building was overgrown with sharp, vicious thorns that were considered impenetrable. Colt and Kodi knew better. 

Now they backed away twenty paces from the building until they found a rock that was a slightly different color than the others. Colt pulled up on it and a large circle of ground came free, leading to a dark earthen chamber below. With the ease of long practice, Colt swung through the hole. Kodi, eyes scrunched up tightly, followed.  


	5. Behind the Rock

**Disclaimer: If you don't have it by now there's no hope for you.**

**Chapter 5**

"Owww," Kodi moaned weakly, rubbing the knee she had landed on. 

"Try landing on your feet," Colt advised, mock straight faced. "You'll get less ouches that way."

"I'll land as I please," Kodi retorted. 

Colt rolled his eyes. "Suit yourself." He turned towards one earthen wall, pressed one hand to it, and walked through. 

Kodi stared at the wall and rubbed her eyes. The wall looked solid. When she hesitantly pressed a hand to it, it felt solid. 

Suddenly Colt's voice echoed in her ear, as plain as if he'd been standing right next to her. "Just walk through," he told her. "It ain't solid. 

 Kodi sighed. Surely walking through walls wasn't any stranger than anything else she'd done today. Dubiously she walked into the wall- and got a face full of dirt for her trouble. 

"Colt!" she yelled, black eyes flashing as she brushed dirt out of her hair. 

"Sorry Kodi! I dunno what happened." She heard a thud and a curse. "It won't work for me either." Panic crept into his voice. "Gods! I can't be _stuck_ here!"

Kodi took a deep breath. "Hush Colt! Lemme think!" Work it out, she told herself sternly. The barrier was magical, just like the wards. She felt for the threads that made up the false wall, but she couldn't feel any. The wall was a solid sheet of magic, with no holes or breaks for Kodi to get hold of. Worse, parts of it pulled at her power, making her feel weak and dizzy. She had to get help, but from who? She could only think of one person who might know what to do. 

"Colt?" she called, "I need to get help. I'll be right back just- don't go anywhere!"

"Where am I going to _go_?" he roared as Kodi set off up the ladder and back into Deadman's District. 

She sped through the slum at top speed, still careful to keep to the shadows. In no time at all, Kodi was on Cart Street and at Briar Moss's door. She hesitated, unsure o what to do. She settled for banging on the door. 

It swung open to reveal the mage standing behind it. He blinked. "Kodi?"

"Quick! I need help. Colt's stuck and the ward wouldn't unravel!" she babbled. Luckily, Briar seemed to see it was urgent and didn't ask questions.

"Wait here," he ordered. Kodi tapped her foot impatiently, but when he returned dressed in plain, slightly worn clothes, she saw the sense in it. Dressed like a Bag, Briar would be a magnet for thieves. 

She grabbed his arm and half dragged him to the thorn-covered cottage. She wrenched open the trapdoor and pulled Briar through when he moved to examine it further. 

"Colt?" she called. "I brought help."

"Your _help_ better not blab about this place to the whole city!"

"I won't," Briar assured him. He seemed to take the seemingly disembodied voice in stride. "What happened?" he asked Kodi. 

Kodi quickly told him about the false wall. She could feel him pressing at it with his magic.

"Mage traps," he said finally. "This wall is riddled with 'em. That's why you felt dizzy."

"Can you unravel it?" Kodi asked nervously. She didn't know what she would do if he couldn't. 

"This can't be unraveled. It can be smashed though, like glass, if _you _hit it hard enough and avoid the traps."

"What do you mean me?" she demanded. 

Briar sighed. "I do plants," he explained. "This is an extremely strong wall. It can't be broken by someone who doesn't specialize in illusion or protective magic. I've broken one before, but that was with my sisters." 

He had sisters? Kodi hadn't thought of him in terms of having a family. "I dunno how to break it," she objected. 

"I'll lend you the power," he assured her, "and I'll help you avoid mage traps. Alright?"

Kodi nodded nervously. As a rule, she wasn't a brave person. She preferred running from trouble to facing it, but she wasn't about to abandon Colt. He had done a lot for her over the years. Now she had a chance to repay the debt. 

"I'm going to connect us. It might pinch a bit," he added apologetically. Pinch was an understatement. It felt as though a thorn was hooking deep into her. She now saw the wall as a transparent barrier, with Colt looking scared on the other side. The mage traps glowed with a sick yellow light. 

_I'm going to start handing you power,_ Briar told her. She cried out in pain. Even though he was whispering, his voice- like pine needles- resonated inside her. When she looked at him, she could see a giant tree rippling under his form, oddly mixed with forge fire, lightning, and soft wool around the edges. Kodi was beginning to see how an eighteen year old kid could claim the title of mage. 

Briar started feeding her green power. She gathered it up in her hands, where it mixed with her own bronze magic. She molded it into a ball as she would clay and aimed at the wall, careful to avoid mage traps. She threw and the ball hit the barrier with a thump that echoed around the chamber. She gathered the ball up again and threw twice more. Finally the weakened wall cracked and dissolved. The green power flowed back to Briar and their connection ended. 

Colt ran and wrapped her in a giant hug, looking more relieved than she'd ever seen him. Kodi disentangled herself awkwardly. Colt looked quizzically at Briar and Kodi introduced them and quickly relayed the events of the day. 

"You never said anything about visions, Kodi!" Colt exclaimed. 

"I thought I was going crazy," Kodi replied, "'sides, they didn't come 'til after…" Briar looked at her, but didn't question her further. 

"Anyways, you _really_ need to see what I was going to show Kodi," Colt told Briar. He led them to a door past where the barrier used to be. "It's right over here."  

_A/N_

_Thanks again to everyone who reviewed. _

_Shatteredrainbow: The magistrate's exact words were exile from Sotat until Winding Circle's council sees you fit to enter society. They must think he's fit to enter society since they gave him a medallion. Also, Chammur was part of Sotat and he went there. Briar is eighteen, so four years have passed since Street Magic. I'm glad you like my story!_

_Lady Maewen: I know I need to work on description. __L__ It just annoys me so much… Anyway, I'll try to work on that. I had no idea they didn't use the word "obviously". I'll check on that. I love Rosethorn too, and she's going to show up later in the fic. Kodi's not particularly nervous about magic because she doesn't know she's doing magic. Plus, after having visions for most of her life, she's pretty used to the paranormal. She wasn't nervous about Briar because she's used to trusting her instincts –they did get her this far- and she has a good feeling about him. I'm glad you gave me some constructive criticism. I definitely could use some, and I'm better at taking it from people I don't know. (Another pro to ff.net). Anyway, I hope you keep reading and reviewing.     _        


	6. Passages

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you don't recognize. 

**Chapter 6**

The thick wooden door creaked loudly as Colt tentatively pushed it open, freeing a shower of dust. The entrance obviously hadn't been used in a long time. The hallway past the door was dark and cold. Kodi could hear rats scuttling beyond the doorframe. Colt went back to the main chamber for a lamp and then plunged into the passageway. 

Kodi followed after a quick look at Briar. Most Bags wouldn't walk into the passage if you paid them. They wouldn't want to sully their precious clothes. However, Briar didn't flinch as he followed Kodi down the hall. 

They traveled through the passage in silence. Colt's light cast eerie shadows on the walls. It seemed like every sound was something creeping up on them in the dark. Colt and his friends' misguided pranks had cured Kodi of any fear of rats, but even she almost screamed when something scurried across her foot. Each section of the wall looked exactly like the one before it. Kodi was relieved when they reached a fork in the road because it proved they had been moving. 

"I think it's this way," Colt called, pointing to the left fork. 

"What do you mean _think_?" Kodi demanded.

Colt's ears reddened slightly. "I've never actually been down here," he admitted. 

"It is the left fork," Briar said, cutting off Kodi's reply. "It's marked with an arrow." Colt and Kodi both examined the wall, but neither could see a mark. "It's written in magic," Briar explained when they looked at him. "Kodi, you can see it. Look for glitter at the corner of your eye." 

"You had to turn this into a lesson, didn't you?" Kodi asked. Briar grinned wickedly, but gave no reply. Kodi sighed at looked for any light at the edge of her vision. Try as she might, she couldn't see an arrow. 

Now Briar sighed. "I'll spell you so you can see it," he told her finally. "Now close your eyes." He stood over her, and with much arm waving, muttered an exotic sounding incantation. 

Colt watched avidly. "I never seen wizards do magic like _that_-" Colt started to say, but Briar hushed him with a glance and winked. 

"Now open your eyes," he told Kodi. She obeyed, and where there had previously been a blank wall, she saw a yellow arrow pointing towards the left fork. They started down it. 

"He didn't really put a spell on you," Colt whispered.

"I know that." Kodi lied, feeling silly. Now that she had the ability, Kodi could see traces of yellow magic all through the tunnel, spells to protect and hide. A mage had been here recently. 

The going was much easier in this passage. The floor was paved with stone and clean enough to keep rats away. Magically lit globes were placed at intervals along the walls. When they reached the end of the tunnel, it opened smoothly and without dust into a dimly lit chamber. 

It took a while for Kodi's eyes to get used to the dark, but when they did her stomach gave a sickening lurch. The room was filled with weapons, enough to supply and army, or take out a country. She looked over at her two companions. Colt was just as shocked as she, but Briar surveyed the arms with grim satisfaction. He was expecting this, Kodi realized. 

Briar walked over to a door at the far side of the chamber. He opened it, and Kodi saw a fine strand of power snake out into the hall beyond. In a couple of minutes, the thread came back, and Briar gathered in up again. 

"The tunnel leads to the palace," he announced, eyes glinting dangerously. "We have him. Even Rididar can't wriggle out of this one. I have to go tell Lady Ailsa and the Baron. Are you two all right here?"

Kodi nodded and Briar strode out of the room. "Guess this means we don't have a hideout anymore," Colt muttered. Kodi rolled her eyes unsympathetically. 

"I s'pose we should go back," Kodi said regretfully. She wasn't looking forward to the long trek back through the tunnels. 

Colt was about to agree, but he never got the chance. Kodi could hear footsteps pounding on the floor, and soon faces started to appear, faces Kodi recognized. Izen had teased her with rats, and Eilia had taught her to braid hair. They had never been friends exactly, but they had always been _friendly_. Unfortunately for Kodi, the Thorns were back- and they were anything but friendly.     


	7. Cobra and Panther

Disclaimer: see chapter 1

Chapter Seven

Kodi tried to fight, she really did. 

She kicked, poked, and punched until she had no feeling left in her limbs, but she was outmatched. Cobra was as small and quick to strike as his namesake. He had her pinned against a wall before Kodi's brain had even registered what had happened to her. Then Panther- who had muscles like a smith's- twisted Kodi's arms around her back and lifted her as easily as if she had been a toddler, not a teenaged girl. 

"Thanks for leadin' us to her, Colt!" Cobra jeered. 

Kodi remembered her friend, her last hope. "Do something!" she shrieked at him. 

Colt just stood there. He looked so stricken that Kodi knew he wasn't expecting his friends to be here, but she couldn't believe he was going to let them carry her away like this. 

"I should've left you trapped!" she called as Panther dragged her out of the room. The older girl had given up on carrying Kodi after a particularly hard kick to the shoulder. 

Kodi struggled harder to free her hands from Panther's tight grip. She had a knife hidden in her sash for emergencies. If she could just reach it, she might have a chance. Then again, maybe not. Panther and Cobra probably had blades too. Also, she didn't want to call attention to her sash, and the bundle inside it. It was always possible that the Thief Lord didn't know she had it yet. Kodi wasn't taking any chances. 

They made the long, boring trek through the tunnel in silence. Kodi tried not to think about the future, but her mind kept coming back to one thought: What was going to happen to her? She thought about someone rescuing her and nearly laughed. Who would do that? Her only real friend had been Colt, and he'd proved where his loyalties lay. _Briar,_ a small voice in her head argued, _Briar will come._ Kodi rolled her eyes at this. She had known Briar less than a day. Why should he face the Thief Lord for her? _He came to help Colt,_ the voice retorted. Kodi brushed this aside. In her experience, Bags like Briar didn't care about street rats like her. She didn't want to cling to false hope. 

So now what were her options? She was at the Thief Lord's mercy, except of course that the Thief Lord had no mercy. So she was dead, unless he found out she had magic. Then she would just be a slave. 

Kodi was expecting to go to the Thorn's hideout and leave from there, so she was surprised that they took the right fork instead of rejoining the main tunnel. "Where are we going," she asked Panther. 

"Thief Lord," Panther answered curtly. 

_So the right fork leads to the Thief Lord's place,_ Kodi thought, _but that doesn't make sense! _Why would the Thief Lord's place, the Thorn's hideout, and the Palace all be connected?

Kodi thrust the mystery out of her mind as they neared the end of the passage. Whatever was happening here wasn't her headache. She needed to worry about staying alive for another day. 

Cobra opened a door at the end of the passage. Inside was a holding cell barely big enough for Kodi to stand up in. He pushed her in roughly and stalked away. Panther turned to her. 

"Kodi?" she said softly. "I'm sorry." 

Kodi grabbed the door and slammed it as hard as she could. The echo bounced around the chamber and mingled with the sound of Panther's footsteps pounding on the cold, stone floor. Kodi would not forgive Panther. Not now, not ever. 

She wasn't sure how long she stayed in the holding cell. Time ran together in her head until hours felt like seconds and moments seemed like years. Kodi started to wish a vision would come on, so her spirit at least could leave this place. 

Finally someone came to take her to the Thief Lord. It was a man Kodi recognized. His name was Smits and he ran the Thief Lord's day to day affairs. He had bright red hair that made an odd contrast to his blank gray eyes. His clothes were worn and plain. The only hint that Smits was anything more than your average tavern grunt was the weapons on his belt, a heavy blackjack and a wickedly sharp knife. 

Wordlessly, he grabbed Kodi by the scruff of her neck and carried her out the door.

"I got feet," Kodi told him resentfully. "I can _walk_." In response, Smits grabbed her neck cutting off her air for seconds. Kodi decided to keep her mouth shut after that. 

The tunnel emptied into a small receiving chamber. Smits let go of her and threw her roughly through the door. When Kodi stopped seeing stars, she looked around at the chamber. She had thought she was alone, but standing over her was someone who could only be the Thief Lord.  

_A/N: Thanks to Manga_Lover123, mjulie2001, storm mage, Nie Starwhistle, and vreader for reviewing._

 Impatient Griselda: Wait a minute, are you comparing my story to the UN and the war in Iraq? Believe me that's not something I intended. Here's my thinking on the subject. Emelan seems like it would be one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, country on the Pebbled Sea. Why? Because Duke Vedris's fair, if tough policies- policies that Sandry is continuing- make life pretty good for people in Emelan. Happy people with a good life are more apt to defend it, especially via joining the military. Also, Winding Circle is a famed center for magical learning, attracting mages to Emelan. Mages + good military = power. Sotat wants a bit of that power, along with some of the rest of the Pebbled Sea's countries, for themselves, so Sotat pays pirates to bleed off of the countries' merchant ships- and avoids entering all out war with Emelan. The Pebbled Sea countries catch on to this, but all except Emelan are to scared to actually talk to King Rididar, because with all the gold Sotat mines, and the taxes he takes, Sotat's not doing so bad for themselves either. So, Emelan goes to not negotiate with Sotat, but deliver a warning: Quit paying pirates or we go to war. Emelan also wants to find some concrete proof of this though, because then it will be easier for them to get help from the other countries being affected. I hope that makes sense.  


	8. Copper

Disclaimer: see chapter 1

**Chapter 8**

Colt stayed in the room for the longest time after Cobra and Panther left. He was disgusted with himself. He had just stood there, frozen. And he couldn't forget the way Kodi had looked at him- but what had she expecting him to do? Cobra and Panther were Thorns, same as him. He'd paid in blood for the privilege, and he was supposed to defend it. Kodi should've told him he was in trouble with the Thief Lord. 

Colt grabbed a rock and lobbed it at the wall. He missed the old days! He missed the time when things were simple! You owed allegiance to your mates and your gang. You gave the Thief Lord his cut, and he stayed out of your life. It ought to have been that way now! Still, much as Colt tried to talk himself out of it, he knew what he had to do, and whose help he was going to need. 

Colt turned and raced out of the chamber, his long strides taking him out of the tunnels, up the ladder, and out onto the street in record speed. Soon though, he was forced to slow, as Midsummer festivities were in full swing as he neared the streets in the main part of town. Acrobats walked on stilts raised above the crowds, while dancers performed on the roads below. They swirled gauzy scarves and skirts in time to pounding drums. Moon glow illuminated the dark night sky. The crowds, rowdy from free food and drink, threw bright bits of paper and glinting copper coins into the parade for Midsummer's luck. Colt grabbed those that fell near him, ignoring the disapproving glares from the people around him. Soon the other poorer residents of the city would come to gather coins too. Only a Bag would leave coins lying in the street. Colt didn't _care_ if he was risking the gods' displeasure. 

The masses of people started to thin as the performers moved on and the priests and dignitaries passed through. A brave few stayed to shout jeers and insults, and Colt hastily left to follow the crowds. He didn't want to be there when the jeerers were punished. Colt was halfway to Briar's house on Cart Street when he realized that was pointless. Briar Moss would be enjoying the festival like the rest of the city. 

Colt scanned the crowds impatiently. "He better not be drunk," he muttered. 

"I'm not," a voice said dryly. 

Colt jumped. "What're you doin' here!"

"Looking for you, and believe me it hasn't been easy. Something's happened to Kodi right?"

"Thorns got her," Colt muttered. "How'd you know?" 

"I'm connected to her by magic," Briar explained absently. "Thorns. They're the Thief Lord's special right?" 

Colt hesitated, than nodded. "Yeah." How did Briar know this?"

"How many of them were there?" 

Colt considered lying, but decided against the idea. "Two."

Briar raised his eyebrows. "You couldn't hold off two? Not long enough for Kodi to get away?" he asked incredulously. 

Colt scowled and thrust his left palm in the mage's face, revealing four deep puncture marks near the web of skin where his X was tattooed. 

Briar whistled softly. "Now _there's_ a dilemma I'm glad I never had."

Colt quickly snaked out an arm, grabbed the mage's hand, and nearly let go. It was covered with moving tattoos of vines with colorful flowers. His palm had puncture marks much like Colt's own, but there were too many of them to be initiation scars. As is they realized what Colt was searching for, the vines twined away from the webs of skin between his thumb and forefinger, revealing small, blue black Xs. 

"I knew you was street!" Colt said triumphantly. "Which gang?"

"Lightnings," Briar replied, "and I haven't been street for eight years now." 

"Once a street rat, always a street rat," Colt replied breezily. He was much heartened. Briar wasn't a Bag, even though he wore Bag clothes. Colt could trust him. "Now let's find Kodi."

Briar grinned crookedly. "I wish it was gonna be that easy."

* * *

Kodi overcame her terror enough to look the Thief Lord in the eye. He was nothing like she expected. With shoulder length blonde hair and pale skin, he looked as if he belonged in Namorn or Islig in the far north, not Sotat's southern port. His eyes were the same green as Briar's, but they called to mind not soft moss and growing things, but hard, cold emeralds. In spite of herself, Kodi shivered. 

"You look surprised," He said, sounding amused. His voice was as cold as his eyes. 

Kodi summoned the last of her courage. "I was expecting someone older," she snapped. 

The Thief Lord laughed. "Silly girl, surely you know- no perhaps you don't. I am not the same Thief Lord that has been ruling Sotat for thousands of years. The Thief Lord is a title. There were hundreds before me, and there will be hundreds after me. 

"Oh," Kodi responded politely. She fought the urge to roll her eyes. Did the Thief Lord think she was an idiot?

"Now earlier you stole something from me." He studied his hands nonchalantly. "Just some gold of little consequence, which you've probably already spent by now. I'm sure you think you did well, breaking into my lowest security vault. "

Kodi snorted. It hadn't been his lowest security vault. And she hadn't spent the gold. She'd been forced to drop it when guards came after her. 

The Thief Lord turned to her again. "However, something else has been stolen from me, something with much more value than the pittance you took."

Kodi gulped. This was it. 

"A valuable magical artifact, stolen from me by King Rididar. It was no doubt a misguided attempt to betray me. Girl, I have a proposition for you. You steal the artifact back, and I will not kill you." He smiled, showing pointed teeth, and held out a hand. "Is it a bargain?" 

Kodi fought to keep from laughing. He really had no idea! His stupid pride couldn't handle the fact that a fourteen year old girl had stolen his most valuable possession. Steal something she already had in exchange for her _life_? She'd take that deal gladly. She clasped his hand and shook it firmly. "Deal."    


	9. Eth Rhilasang

Disclaimer: I'm getting sick of this.

Chapter 9

"C'mon!" Colt called impatiently. 

"We can't go yet," Briar replied. "We have some things to do first."

Colt scowled. "Like what? You think the Thief Lord's just inviting her over for tea? She could be hurt, she could be scared- she could be _dead_ and we won't know until we get there!" Colt's breath came in heaving gasps.

Briar shook him a little harder than was necessary. "Listen," he told the younger boy softly. "We can't help Kodi by just rushing in. We need to prepare. Besides, Kodi's not dead, hurt, or even all that scared. I can _tell_, through my magical bond to her."

Briar let go, and Colt backed away, rubbing his shoulder. "Why do you care anyway?" he muttered. "What happens to her ain't no skin off _your_ neb."

Briar looked at him steadily. "I discovered her power, so she's my responsibility, 'least 'til I find a teacher for her. I'm not about to let her get hurt by the Thief Lord."

Colt shrugged, unconvinced. "What do we gotta do?"

"Find out where she is, for a start."

"That's easy," Colt replied. "I know where the Thief Lord's hideout is. And can't you follow the magical stringy thing? It told you when she was missing." 

"With that, it's better to have a general idea first. The magical bond goes through buildings we have to go around, and it doesn't follow roads. 'Sides, I don't think she's where the Thief Lord usually is."

"Tunnel," Colt said.

"Exactly," Briar replied. "We also need to figure out what we're going to do when we get there."

Colt closed his eyes. He was used to this kind of strategic thinking. In gang wars and when plotting out places to burgle, you had to figure out how to play up your strengths, and compensate for weaknesses. It was the same here. 

Finally, he spoke. "We have surprise on our side. The Thief Lord doesn't think anyone's gonna come after her, so he probably didn't bother to hide her real good."

Briar nodded approvingly. "He always underestimates his street kids. It's his worst weakness."

"So I was thinking," Colt continued, "that you could handle the Thief Lord and any of his mages, and I'll find Kodi. Can she do anything to help once she's free?" He twiddled his fingers to indicate magic. 

"I doubt it," Briar sighed. "She hasn't learned to control her power, and she hasn't done any magic without me to walk her through it. We're on our own on this one."

* * *

"So… Can I leave now?" Kodi asked.

The Thief Lord raised his eyebrows. "No. Then you will just run without completing the job. "

"I won't," Kodi assured him.

"Then how do you plan on stealing the artifact if you don't even know what it looks like?"

Kodi cursed under her breath. The Thief Lord might put on airs like a noble, but he was street through and through. She couldn't keep underestimating him!

"So what is this artifact I have to steal?" she asked. 

"The Eth Rhilasang." He said the name with a reverence Kodi understood. Even the name brought goose bumps to her skin.

"What's it mean?" she whispered.

"It's in Kurchali, the language of the Kurchal Empire," he explained. "Loosely translated it means 'The Unraveller'. It is a small silver disk, with engraved writing in Kurchali and emerald in the center."

"What does it _do_?" 

The Thief Lord smiled his wolfish grin again. "That's _my_ secret. You just need to know how to find it, not use it. Now come here."

Kodi approached with growing trepidation. She had a feeling that whatever was going to happen, she wasn't going to like. 

"This is to make sure you don't run away," the Thief Lord said nastily, pulling out a copper wire shaped like a thorny vine. It blazed in Kodi's new found magical vision. "Now hold out your arm." Seeing that she made no move to obey, he grabbed her arm himself, gave it a sharp twist, and pressed the wire to her inner forearm. Instantly Kodi's vision blurred as a burning pain shot through her body. The pain was magical as well as physical. A hook stuck into her power's very core, leading to the wire's brand. 

"It's a tracker," he told her as she examined the vine shaped burn on her forearm, trying not to be sick. He continued, "It cost me three gold maja's to pay the mage who made it." His cold laugh gave Kodi the distinct impression that the mage hadn't lived to enjoy his wealth for very long. 

Kodi started to back out of the room, and when he made no move to stop her, she ran out of the chamber and into the tunnel. 

_A/N_

_Hello everybody! I just wanted to leave a note saying that it might be two weeks before I update, as I'm going somewhere for Spring Break that doesn't have computer access. _

_Thanks to Steph Silverstar, Manga_Lover123, goombahan, FBluvr, and Another Chance for reviewing. Have a good spring holiday!_  


	10. Secrets

_A/N: Hello everybody! I'm ba-ack! Sorry yesterday's chapter was so short. I probably should have combined it with this one, but it's a little late now. Again, thanks to everyone who reviewed. _

Chapter 10

As soon as she was out of sight, Kodi broke out into a full-on run and smacked straight into a confused Briar and Colt. She quickly stuck her branded forearm behind her back, where Briar couldn't see it glitter. 

"What're you doing _here_, with us set to rescue you and all?" Colt asked, looking disappointed. 

"You had your chance to rescue me," Kodi said coldly. She wasn't ready to forgive Colt just yet. 

"I'm sorry," Colt replied dejectedly. "I wanted to help, but I just- froze. And we really were going to rescue you."

Kodi sighed. She could understand that, even if she didn't like it. "S'alright," she replied generously, clasping his hand in a street rat's shake. She did the same thing to Briar, surprised that he knew it. 

"Oh, Briar used to be ganged-up here," Colt explained. 

Kodi looked at him skeptically, and then decided it wasn't any stranger then anything else that had happened to her today. "Can we get outta here?" she asked. "All these tunnels are giving me the crawls."

"Sure." Briar grinned. "Can't say I blame you."

As they walked through the tunnel, Colt asked, "So how did you escape?"

Kodi smiled. Telling lies was one of her best talents. It would be a welcome challenge to try to fool someone as sharp as Briar, or who knew her as well as Colt. 

"Well," she said solemnly, reminding herself to keep it simple, "after we left the chamber, Cobra grabbed me right? And I didn't like that so much, so I'm kicking and pushing and screaming and making Cobra real angry. Finally, he pulls out his knife and tells me that if I don't shut up I'm gonna get it." Kodi soon forgot her own advice as she got into the story. "Cobra thinks he has me there, but he don't know I have a knife too. Panther moves in to grab me, but Cobra tells her to back off so she does. 

"Soon Cobra and I are circlin' round each other like those guards the King's got, the ones with the pig stickers. I'm real scared, right, cause Cobra ain't called Cobra for nothing, and I know I can't beat him with a blade. Then I have a bit of luck. One of those rat's that always scurrying around comes up and bites him real hard on the leg. While Cobra's trying to shake it loose, screaming curses at everything in sight, I slice him hard across the arm. Its gushing blood and I'm real scared cause I think of done him in, you know? Then I see it's a lot better than it looks, but Cobra still leaves to find something to bind it with.

"Then Panther drags me through a huge maze of tunnels, but I can tell she's feeling kinda guilty. I know I'm right because before she locks me up she slips something- real quiet like- into my hand. I open it up to find a lock pick. I pick the lock, open the door, and run smack into you."

Colt looked at her admiringly. 'Wow, Kodi. Didn't know you had it in you."

"Excellent story Kodi," Briar said cheerfully. "Now give us the truth, if you please."

Kodi put on a wounded look. "It is the truth," she replied huffily. 

"Yeah, it is, Briar," Colt assured him. "Trust Cobra to get upset about a rat. And it's just like Panther to come through in the end. She always liked you, Kodi." 

Briar raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. Kodi sighed, knowing that they would be talking about this later. Now she would have to make up another- more believable- story. Whatever she did, she couldn't tell them the truth. How long would they want her around if they knew she was working for the Thief Lord, or worse, that he could trace their every move through her? Not long. 

Soon they exited out of the tunnel and into the comparatively fresh air outside. By this time, the sun had fully set, and Hajra was engulfed in an inky black sea. The faint glow emitted from the thin crescent moon did little to banish the approaching darkness. Instinctively, Briar loosened the hemp ties on his wrist sheaths and let the hilts drop into his palms. He wasn't taking any chances. 

"Where're we going to go?" Kodi asked nervously. "I can't go back to the Rat's Nest, not after this." 

"You can stay at my place," Briar replied. "You can't live on the streets, and you're going to have to stay with me anyway if I'm going to teach you magic."

"Hey," Kodi said warily. "I never agreed to this magic stuff."

Briar scowled at her. "You don't have a choice. Your magic is already breaking away from you. Don't you want to control your visions? 'Sides, what else are you going to do. You can't be a street thief anymore."

Kodi sighed. He was right; she knew he was right. The Thief Lord was looking for her, and Hajra was no longer safe. She hadn't been much of a thief anyway, not with visions threatening to pop up at the most inconvenient moments. She wanted a chance to make things better.

"I'll do it," she agreed.

Briar grinned. "Let's go. We can start in the morning."     


	11. Dreams

**Chapter 11**

Despite her warm, comfortable bed- or perhaps because of it- Kodi had trouble falling asleep that night. Her pillow was too fluffy, and her mattress was too soft after years of sleeping on city pavement. She envied Colt his pallet on the floor. Finally, she pulled the sheets, blankets, and pillows off the bed until she was lying on a bare mattress. Her arm ached dully, keeping her awake. 

She was going to have to do something about it. She couldn't keep hiding the brand forever. She reached inside herself for a thread of power and did a bit of improvising. She braided the threads together into a bandage and placed it on her arm, thinking as hard as she could about hiding and healing. When she looked again, she could no longer see the vine, and though she could still feel it, the ache had lessened slightly. 

She was just about to drift off when she thought of other worry- rats. _Don't be a bleater, _she told herself nervously, _there's no rats here. _Besides, even if there were, she was too far off the ground for any rats to reach her. But rats had sharp teeth. One could easily chew through the bed's cloth bottom. She would be asleep, and unable to defend herself when she fell…

Kodi couldn't sleep on the bed now, and the mattress was too heavy to lift on her own. She arranged the pillows, sheets, and blankets until she had a sufficiently rat proof nest, and then curled up in the center. 

She fell into a haunted half-sleep. Images she'd forgotten, or tried to forget, weaved in and out of her dreams. The mother she remembered from when she was small… being alone and scared during her first days in Deadman's District… waiting to die with her head sticky with blood… they all flashed in her mind until she didn't know what was real and what wasn't. Through it all, the now invisible mark on her arm burned, and she could hear the Thief Lord's cruel, mocking laughter. 

*  *  *

Briar woke with a start. It was still pitch dark, and he had a good four hours until he had to be up for good. He was just about to go to sleep when he heard the sound that must have woken him up before: muffled screams, coming from Kodi's room. He stumbled out into the hallway and poked his head into the main living room. Colt was still asleep on the pallet, undisturbed by the noise. He went to his workroom and pulled out his mage kit and a light globe. 

He walked into Kodi's room. The girl was curled up on a nest of pillows and bedding. She tossed and turned feverishly, though she seemed to have stopped screaming. Briar shook her gently and she opened one dark eye. 

"You alright?" he asked. 

"Bad dream," she muttered. 

Briar reached into his mage kit and pulled out a light blue liquid. He pored some in a vial. "Drink it. It's Lightsbane, good for getting rid of nightmares."

She sipped a little bit. 'Thanks," she replied gruffly. She tried to give him back the vial. 

"Keep it," he told her. "You might need it again."

Briar left and Kodi fell instantly into a deep, dreamless sleep. 

*  *  *

When Kodi woke, it was midmorning and the sky was already light. She climbed out of her makeshift bed, then hesitated. The unraveler was still inside her sash. She fingered it gently. She was so curious. Whatever this magical device did, it had to be important. She pulled it out and prodded it with her magic. Instantly the Eth Rhilasang started humming, a high clear note that echoed around the walls and into the sky. The sun and the clouds and every other natural wonder called back in answer. All their combined forces filled the room with white hot radiance that invaded Kodi's very being and burned like fire. The whole room blazed in her magical sight, leaving white spots around her vision. The Unraveler's magic began eating away at her life force, and Kodi was powerless to stop it. Suddenly, the clock struck the hour, and Kodi snapped out of it. She thrust the Eth Rhilasang back into her pocket and vowed never to do that again. 

When her breathing had slowed to normal, she walked out of her room and down the stairs, the smells on fresh fruit and frying dumplings entering her nose. Her stomach rumbled. She hadn't eaten in three days, not since the rotting carrots she'd last scrounged. She sighed wistfully. She hadn't even expected breakfast. _Stupid,_ she scolded herself. The raw ache of hunger was so familiar that it hadn't even occurred to her that Briar would have food. 

She broke into a run and skidded to a stop in the kitchen, a cheery room with lots of plants and windows. Briar and Colt were sitting around a small wooden table and eating fruit and dumplings. Kodi determinedly looked away from the older mage, embarrassed by her dreams and screams. 

"Eat! It's good!" Colt called gleefully, his mouth full of dumpling. 

'Kodi sat down next to them and filled her plate with what was left. She had just stuffed a dumpling in her mouth when Briar put a hand on her arm. 

"Slow down," he told her. "You're going to make yourself sick. And try some silverware."

The knife and fork he placed in front of her felt odd in her hands, but she did the best she could. She couldn't eat nearly as much as she expected though. 

"Your stomach's probably shrunk," Briar explained. "It comes from not having many decent meals."

"But now all this food is wasted," she replied mournfully, motioning too her still loaded plate. 

'No it's not. I'll leave it out for the kids that come scrounging 'round here. Now come on. We have some things to get." 


	12. Change

_A/N Hey! I'm sorry this took so long. Chapter 14 (the one I've been working on) is pretty long, and it took me awhile to finish. I'll try to be more regular from now on. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed!_

Chapter 12

"What do we have to get?" Kodi asked, experimentally running a rag over the dish she was supposed to be drying. Nothing horrible happened. She finished drying the dish with considerably more enthusiasm- until she dropped it. Pottery shards clattered everywhere. She flinched instinctively, but Briar just laughed.

"I'll finish drying the dishes," he told her, handing her a broom and a dustbin. "You clean this up. Make sure to get all the little pieces."

 Kodi dutifully swept up every last sliver, determined to prove that she could do something right.

"What do we have to get?" she repeated.

"You need decent clothes," Briar replied, and I need books on vision magic if I'm going to teach you the basics. We should look into teachers too, though I can only think of one person up for the job."

"That Niko person?" Kodi asked.

"That Niko person is Niklaren Goldeye. Maybe you've heard of him?"

"Wizard stuff," Kodi replied with a shrug. "No one pays attention to that."

"You're going to have to start paying attention to wizard stuff. You're going to be one. And I guess it makes sense that you haven't heard of Niko." He added, half to himself, "You hadn't heard of me after all."

Kodi scratched her head. Briar Moss. The name did seem familiar, now that she thought about it. But Briar was a normal person, not one of the jumped up great mages of stories.

"Should I have heard of you?" she asked finally. "Have most people heard of you?"

"Most people have," Briar affirmed. "Makes things simpler that you haven't though."

Kodi looked at him, then let the subject drop. She'd ask him what he was famous for later.

"Are we going now?" Colt asked, poking his head through the door.

Briar nodded an dlet them out into the bright morning sunlight. The streets were strewn with bright bits of paper and other litter. Those the city hired to clean it up had to compete with hordes of street rats hunting for overlooked coppers and others who couldn't afford to let such things go to waste.

For the first time it really hit home how far Colt and Kodi had come. In one day they had gone from street kids stealing or scrounging for their next meal to- to what? Kodi was going to be a mage- though she still wasn't sure what that entailed- but what about Colt? Whatever he did, he would never really belong in the Rat's Nest, not that he could have come back even if he wanted to.

Eventually they reached a small secondhand clothes shop. Kodi wandered around, marveling. She didn't even know what half these garments were!

"Get a couple of everything you think you'll need," Briar instructed.

Kodi didn't need to be told twice. She grabbed several shirts and pairs of breeches, al in shades of red, blue and green, undergarments, and a pair of sandels that bit inot her feet when she walked. She even got a skirt, though she wasn't sure how to walk in it.

After she'd finished, she helped Colt, who had no color-sight and often confused different hues, while Brair dickered with the beady-eyed woman who owned the store.

"Shame! Shame, shame, shame! I don't know what's happened to the youth of tady. When _I_ was a girl, young boys listened to thir elders. No good wizard, trying to cheat an old woman out of her rent money!" The owner spat on the floor.

Briar just laughed and haggled until he was no longer being ridiculously overcharged.

"Do we got to go back to your house?" Kodi asked wistfully. The sky was blue than it had been in months and the sun shone brilliantly. It was a day to be outdoors.

"Have to," Briar corrected absently. "Here's a coin for the bathhouse. You and Colt get clean and change into your new clothes. The ndo you want to go to the park?"

"Sure," Kodi replied. "What's a park?"

"It's a green place, with lots of flowers and trees." He told them where it was and promised to meet them at the park.

"I feel like a prince, or a duke or something!" Colt exclaimed after they had washed and changed.

"Why? Princes live in palaces and give orders and stuff," Kodi replied, always the realist.

Colt rolled his eyes and walked ahead. After several wrong turns, they reached the park.

Kodi thought her eys were going to pop out of her head. She hadn't known so many green things could grow in the same place. Briar was nowhere to be seen, but Kodi soon realized that he was only hidden by all the plants growing around him.

Grass shot up everywhere her skin touched to create a jungle of high green shoots. Trees twisted and grew long branches that hung over him like a canopy. Vines wrapped tendrils around his fingers and flowers turned their faces towards him. He talked softly, giving a healing hand or just a touch to reassure a plant of his affection. Finally the grass shrunk back to its usual size and the trees and vines turned back to their proper shape.

Briar was left standing in the middle of a clearing, grinning at Colt and Kodi as if nothing odd had just happened.

"Sit down," he called. "You're both going to have a meditation lesson."


	13. Fear

Chapter 13

Kodi yawned hugely, stretching her arms. "Can we stop now?" she asked hopefully. She knew already that meditation was the most boring thing she'd ever tried. After an hour of the exercise, she still couldn't clear her mind or sense her power.

Even Briar looked weary as he stood up and stretched cramped limbs. "I guess we better."

"Can we do it again tomorrow?" Colt asked brightly.

"Sure." Briar grinned. "You picked it up really quick, good job." Colt beamed.

"It don't matter anyway," Kodi snapped. "_You_ aren't going to be a mage."

The smile disappeared from Colt's face.

"Meditation's not just for mages, Kodi." If Briar was annoyed he didn't show it.

Kodi bit her lip and ran ahead.

"What's her problem?" Colt muttered.

"I don't know," Briar replied tiredly. "I'm too young for this. C'mon let's go."

They walked in silence. Then Colt felt a tap on his shoulder. Kodi had come up behind him.

"Lakik! Don't surprise me like that!" Colt yelped.

"Sorry," Kodi replied. Colt knew sneaking up on him wasn't all she was apologizing for.

They walked the rest of the way to Briar's house with no further outbursts.

Briar turned the key into the lock and the door creaked open to reveal two figures standing in the entrance. Kodi recognized them from her vision as Lady Aethra and Baron Erdogun fer Baigh.

Briar jumped. "What're you two doing here?"

"You missed the meeting," Baron Erdogun replied. He caught sight of Colt and Kodi. "Who are these- children?" He wrinkled his nose distastefully. Kodi scowled, and then arranged her face into what she hoped was a dignified expression. She was clean and wearing nice clothes. He had no right to make his nose wrinkle like that!

"Oh, this is Kodi, my student, and her friend Colt," Briar replied carelessly.

Aethra and Erdogun glanced at each other. "Is that- appropriate?" Aethra asked carefully.

Kodi shivered. Did Briar suddenly look taller?

"Of course it is," Briar replied imperiously.

"I'm not going to argue when you look that much like Her Grace," Erdogun muttered.

Briar's lordly look evaporated into a triumphant smile. "It always works for Sandry," he explained. "Besides, you better get used to them. They're coming to Emelan."

"We are?" Kodi yelped.

"They are?" replied Aethra. The two glared at each other in mutual dislike.

"Yes," Briar told them mildly.

Kodi opened her mouth and shut it again. She should've been expecting this really. Besides, Emelan had to be better than here, and Colt looked completely thrilled.

Erdogun cleared his throat a couple times, but seemed hesitant to speak. Finally, with the air of one about to deliver a death sentence, he told Briar, "There was another reason we came."

"Oh?" Briar had that dangerous look again.

Aethra spoke quickly, as if determined to get the worst over with. "King Rididar's pirates launched a full-scale attack on Emelan. Summersea's burning- Duchess Sandrilene is barely holding down the Citadel. Several mages from Winding Circle have been enslaved, including Dedicate Moonrush, Caden Arinci, and Trisana Chandler." 

"What- how? The spell net, and Summersea, and the navy-" Briar seemed unable to speak in coherent sentences.

"The spell net failed. The navy failed. Everything failed." Now that Lady Aethra and Baron Erdogun were no longer pretending everything was normal, Kodi could see that their eyes were red rimmed and blotchy from tears and lack of sleep.

"They have a new weapon," Erdogun explained.

"They did last time too!"

"This time is different. They have a magical weapon, not just boom-dust that explodes then disappears. This weapon cancels out magic. None of our mages spells are working. The navy, the merchants- even the Traders are fighting them from the sea, but it's not enough." The Unraveler, dormant in Kodi's sash all this time, shuddered.

"That's impossible," Briar objected flatly.

"No its not. I tell you, everything I say is true. I've never seen the like, I'll admit. Nothing's been able to completely stop power until now. "

"Until now," Briar repeated heavily. "How can we stop it?"

"I don't know," Baron Erdogun replied bleakly. "Our mages are working on it, and I daresay they'll find something in the end. It doesn't matter anyway, to you at least. You are not to go rushing off to Emelan. We need you here."

"Of course," Briar replied innocently. Too innocently. 


	14. Wind

_A/N: Sorry this is so slow in coming! I'm going to try to get back on trak now that it's summer and FINALS ARE OVER!!! Thanks again to everyone who reviews and reads my story!_

Chapter 14

"Have either of you two ever been on a horse?" Briar asked. Lady Aethra and Baron Erdogun had already been gone an hour, and Colt, Kodi, and Briar were packed and ready to go, whatever the nobles said.

"No," Kodi replied derisively. "Where would we get a horse?"

"Alright, alright." They set off to a stable, where Briar could buy horses for his students and himself.

The stable owner was a businesslike woman who set about getting horses for them as if street rats walked into her shop everyday.

"How old are you?" she asked briskly, leading Kodi into the barn.

"Fourteen," Kodi replied, a touch defensively.

The woman surveyed her dubiously. "You look ten."

I thought you were twelve," Briar added helpfully, with only a ghost of his usual grin.

Colt snorted with laughter. "She gets that a lot," he replied wickedly.

Kodi kicked him. Hard. Her small size had always been a bit of a sore spot. It was useful- she'd gotten quite a bit of free food from people who thought she was just a cute little girl- but at times like these she wished desperately for about four more inches.

"Well why don't you try Coati?" the owner suggested, leading a pony out of his stall.

Kodi approached it warily. Coati was a small, even-tempered pony with a chocolate brown coat. He snorted but kept still when she put a hand on his flank. Confidence growing, she got a leg up from the owner and sat precariously on Coati's back.

"This ain't so bad," Kodi said, patting the pony's head.

"Speak for yourself!" Colt was sitting like a sack of grain on the only pony large enough to hold up his long limbs. "This is horrible!"

Now it was Kodi's turn to laugh.

Horses bought and supplies packed, Briar, Colt, and Kodi were quickly riding towards the city of Arrahn, where they could catch a ship to Emelan safely.

Kodi caught the rhythm of riding fairly easily, and even began to feel affectionate towards the pony. Colt, on the other hand, was sore from the many pits and bumps on the road. "I'm never getting on a horse again!" he moaned.

Kodi laughed. Briar didn't even smile. He seemed to be getting sadder and sadder with each step his horse took. Colt and Kodi looked at each other askance. Neither of them were good in situations like this.

Finally, Colt asked, "Was one of the mages that got enslaved your- your girlfriend or something?"

Kodi looked at him sharply, and Briar managed a weak chuckle. "No, my sister."

"But you've got different last names!" Colt objected.

This launched Briar into an explanation of how he'd come to Winding Circle Temple and had his magic woven together with that of three girls. With every word, Briar seemed to grow stronger. He even laughed a little at some of his past escapades.

"No wonder you were feeling lousy," Colt said, "One sister's enslaved by pirates, one's in a Trader ship fighting them, and one's Duchess of a city under attack."

"Yes," Briar replied soberly.

"I have heard of you," Kodi said abruptly. I didn't realize it was you, but you're one of those four great mages at everyone talks about. I didn't believe the stories were true."

"I believed the stories from the start," Colt replied.

"Well you'd believe almost anything."

Kodi ducked to avoid Colt's good natured punch.

They stopped for the night at a small inn in the village of Southerside. The inn was old, and it had a slightly musty air, but it was cheap and the food was decent. Kodi practically inhaled some spiced curry, mutton, and bread before asking, "Briar?"

"Yes?" Briar replied, swallowing the piece of mutton he'd been chewing.

"How're we going to get to Summersea?" It's a couple of months by sea, right?"

"Normally." He reached into his mage kit and pulled out a knotted cord. It pulsed with blue-gold power in Kodi's magical vision. She stared.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Its wind, knotted into a cord. My mate Tr- Tris made it for me. It'll be like riding a hurricane, but this cord will blow us home in a couple of days. Here, hold it."

Kodi reached out reverently and held the cord in her palm. The pulse was louder now, and Kodi could feel the beat of the tides drawing in and out, in and out. Without even realizing it, Kodi breathed in rhythm will the pulse.

In- and out.

In. Out.

A dull roar pounded in her ears and blackness melted into the edges of her vision. Soon she felt her consciousness slip out of her body and into the air. She thought she was having another vision, but that couldn't be right. There was no insistent tug pulling her towards the site of a vision. She just hovered above her unconscious body.

_What happened? _she asked. _Is this meditation? _

Colt didn't appear to hear, but Briar replied. _Not like I know it. What'd you do?_ Green power spilled out with his words, and her sense of him as a giant tree grew.

_I was breathing with the tide and it just sort of happened. I dunno._

_Maybe this _is_ meditation for you. Can you sense your power?_

_I think so. Is it that roaring feeling, like a waterfall? _Now that she had identified her magic, it released its hold on her, and she slipped back into her body again.

__


End file.
